A federal judge on Friday dismissed a Trump administration lawsuit seeking detailed voter registration records from Rhode Island, ruling that federal law does not authorize the Justice Department to demand sensitive personal data from states without a clear legal basis. U.S. District Court Judge Mary McElroy, appointed by President Donald Trump, sided with Rhode Island election officials and civil rights groups, writing that the Justice Department's request was a "fishing expedition" not permitted under federal election law. The lawsuit was part of a broader effort by the administration to obtain unredacted voter data from states nationwide, including birth dates, home addresses, driver’s license numbers, and partial Social Security numbers.
The Justice Department has argued the data is needed to ensure election integrity, but state officials from both parties and privacy advocates have pushed back, warning the requests violate state and federal privacy protections. Concerns intensified after DOJ lawyers acknowledged in court filings that the agency sought the data to share with the Department of Homeland Security to check voters’ citizenship status.
McElroy’s ruling closely mirrors decisions by judges in several other states who have rejected similar lawsuits. Courts in California, Massachusetts, Michigan, and Oregon have all ruled against the Justice Department’s efforts, while a judge in Georgia dismissed a case on procedural grounds. In her decision, McElroy said the federal government failed to present any factual allegations suggesting Rhode Island was not complying with voter list maintenance requirements under federal law.
Rhode Island Secretary of State Gregg Amore cheered the decision, stating it affirms the state's position that the Justice Department has no legal right to the state's private voter information. "Voter list maintenance is a responsibility entrusted to the states," Amore said. "The executive branch seems to have no problem taking actions that are clear Constitutional overreaches, regularly meddling in responsibilities that are the rights of the states."
The dismissal of the case in Rhode Island marks the fifth loss for the Justice Department in its efforts to access state voter registration lists. The Justice Department declined to comment on the ongoing litigation.